A League of Our Own: The Future of Cyber Defense Competitions

Abstract

Numerous cyber defense competitions exist today for individuals and teams to test their cyber security skills where each team has to “win or go home.” What is missing from these competitions is a league allowing head to head competitions over the course of a season, much like a sport. Teams playing several hours every week during a ten-week season have the opportunity to improve their cyber security skills. This paper provides an overview of cyber security competitions, and how a National Cyber League can greatly expand the number of and participants in these competitions at a much lower cost leveraging virtual technologies.